View report page

52
who is to be regarded as an inhabitant householder and who is a
lodger should be authoritatively settled ; that the most suitable
person to be Returning Officer is the Town Clerk, who prepares
the lists of electors and has local knowledge; that the proposal to
•extend the hours of poll to 10 o'clock in the afternoon is uncalled
for and inexpedient, and that in the opinion of the Council the
most urgent Electoral Reform is a measure for the redistribution
of Seats. The Bill has not yet been read a second time.
81. The Bill would substitute 100 years for 80 years as the
Housing of the maximum term for which money may be borrowed
W orkin g
Classes for the purpose of the Housing of the Working
Classes Act; would limit the rate of interest to be charged by the
Public Works Loans Commissioners for loans for the purposes of
the Housing of the Working Classes Act to two per cent, per
annum would require owners of land to declare the selling values
of their holdings and authorise a special rate on an annual value
of four per cent, of the capital value so declared; and would
authorise the rating of unoccupied premises, and the establishment
of a fair rent court. This Council presented a petition
against the Bill, which is awaiting Second Reading.
82. The Bill provides that on-licences shall be reduced in
Licensing. accordance with the first schedule; that at the
expiration of fourteen years compensation shall cease to be payable
in respect of any licences extinguished, and that any application
for a re-grant of an on-licence after that period shall be
treated as an application for a new licence and not as an application
for renewal. The Bill would also amend the law with regard
to the sale of liquors on Sundays, and as to registration of clubs.
This Council also presented a petition against this Bill, which was
read a second time on the 4th May.
83. This Bill was introduced by the President of the Local
London Paving Government Board. Its object is to secure uniforExpenses
mity of treatment with respect to paving charges in
the case of all churches, chapels, or other buildings appropriated
for public religious worship. At present churches belonging to
the Church of England are exempt from such charges, whilst
other places of worship are not so exempt. This Council approved
of the principle of uniform treatment in respect of paving charges,
but communicated to the Government its opinion that such